Realising the potential of ICTs in Tanzania

8/6/2019 Realising the potential of ICTs in Tanzania

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Information and communication technologies (ICTs)

are increasingly important in achieving development

goals and promoting citizen participation. Tanzania

is one of a number of countries in the Southern

African region that have sought to include ICTs

in their national development plans. This policy

brief summarises a report of the achievements

and weaknesses of this approach in Tanzania, andconsiders the next steps that are needed to meet

the information and communication needs of the

coming generation.

Promoting dialogue, debate and change

Policy briefing

Realising the potential

of ICTs in Tanzania

This brie summarises a report o Tanzanias inormation

and communication or development (ICT4D) experience

ICT4D: Facing the Challenges Head-on in Tanzania.

The report was conducted by the Institute o Finance

Management as part o the Thetha Regional ICT Discussion

Forum Project, coordinated by SANGONeT and unded by

the Open Society Initiative or Southern Arica and the

Embassy o Finland in South Arica. The Thetha Project

aims to provide a body o experience and ramework or

discussion o uture ICT policy in the Southern Arica region.

The ull report can be seen at www.ngopulse.org/fles/

tanzania_thetha_report_ict4d.pd

This is one o a number o policy bries produced by

Panos London based on the work o the Thetha project

www.thetha.org

ICTs are believed to contribute to improving

development outcomes in two main ways:

pthe production o ICT-based knowledge and

products contributes directly to wealth creation

pthe use o ICTs contributes indirectly to

national development through its impact

in social and economic sectors such

as agriculture, health and education.

Individuals also benet rom the availability

and use o ICTs in many ways or example,

by substituting phone calls or travel,

which costs time and money, and by using

inormation on prices, which ICTs can make

available, to sell their own produce and

to make purchases. In these various ways,

ICTs can have a signicant impact on a

countrys ability to achieve the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs).

There are, however, also constraints

on the potential impact o ICTs in many

developing countries. These constraints

include inadequate technical inrastructure,

limited human skills to use availablenetworks and services, the relatively high

cost o communications equipment, and

poor policy and regulatory environments.

These actors reduce the scope or countries

and communities to use ICTs or development

(ICT4D), and may even increase exclusion

and marginalisation.

The report looks at both the impact o

ICTs in Tanzania, and the constraints that

have limited their eect. It also makes

recommendations or policy changes that

may help to increase the positive impacto ICTs in the uture.

Woman on a computer course at a vocational training

centre, Musoma. Educating people to use ICTs is crucial

to development.

markhenley | panospictures


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ICTs in Tanzania

Like other countries in sub-Saharan Arica,

Tanzania has experienced a tremendous

upsurge in telephone ownership and use

since the advent o mobile phones. The

number o mobile phone subscriptions rose

rom close to zero at the turn o the century

to some 13 million by July 2009, more than

one mobile phone or every two adult citizens.

Fixed telephone subscriptions have actually

declined over the same period, and numbered

under 125,000 in July 2009. Internet use

is more dicult to measure, but the report

suggests that around 1.3 per cent o

Tanzanians were internet users in 2009.

Until 2009, one o the major constraintson ICT development in Tanzania was the lack

o adequate international communications

inrastructure. East Arica was one o the

last regions in the world to be connected

to international submarine cable networks.

As a result, connectivity has depended

on satellite links, which are signicantly more

expensive and oer much less capacity than

bre optic cables. This has made internet use

particularly costly in comparison with other

global regions. In 2009 the rst o three

or our competing submarine cables landedon Tanzanias coast, which will greatly increase

international telecommunications (and internet)

capacity and should substantially reduce the

cost o telephone and internet use.

Tanzania has very limited ICT production

capacity, and is entirely dependent on imported

hardware. There is a small local sotware

industry, and an increasing range o local

content, although the scale and capability

o local websites is limited. The country has

a small but growing group o bloggers and

others producing user-generated content inthe country.

The United Republic o Tanzania, in East

Arica, was ormed by the union o Tanganyika

and Zanzibar which retains considerable

governmental autonomy in 1964. It has

a population o a little over 40 million (2008),which is growing at a rate o about 2 per cent

per annum. Tanzania ranks 151st out o 182

countries in the Human Development Index

as listed in the UN Human Development Report

2009. This puts it toward the bottom end

o the list o countries with medium human

development. There is substantial poverty

in both urban and rural areas.

Literacy levels in Tanzania are just over

60 per cent among women, and a little

under 80 per cent among men. The national

language o Kiswahili is a signicant uniying

actor within the country, though English

is used as the ocial language. Tanzaniais part o the regional East Arican Community,

which also includes Burundi, Kenya,

Rwanda and Uganda.

The countrys overall national development

strategy is set out in its Vision 2015

document. This is accompanied by a poverty

reduction strategy programme known as

Mkukuta, a livelihoods initiative known

as Mkurabita, and national versions o the

global MDGs.

Realising the potential o ICTs in Tanzania2

The Tanzanian context

Research methodology

The report used three working methods:

desk research into statistics, reports and

relevant websites, interviews with signicant

actors in the ICT sector and workshops with

a variety o local participants. The report

adopted an inductive-interpretive approach

in recognition o the act that the use o

ICTs in development (ICT4D) is a relativelynew concept in Tanzania, and that data

availability was a challenge.

Business workers with mobile phones. There are

now over 13 million mobile phones in use in Tanzania.



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A armer in Arusha. ICTs can improve rural livelihoods though

telecentres, which provide vital inormation on markets and services.

williamdaniels | panospictures

Focus area Description

Strategic leadership To create a ocused ownership and

visionary leadership in avor o ICT

ICT inrastructure To oster or supportive and interoperable

ICT inrastructure

ICT industry To build and promote, and regulate

a conducive ICT environment

Human capital To bolster the human capital in avour

and exploitation o ICT potentials

Legal & regulatory ramework To create an ICT enabling legal, legislative

and regulatory ramework

Productive Sectors To encourage and support the utilization

o ICT in all productive sectors

Service Sectors To promote and encourage eective and

ecient ICT application in service sectors

Public service To support and become a role model in

utilising ICT in the public service

Local content To allow, encourage, and promote the

development o indigenous knowledge

and traditional cultures

Universal access To address the digital divide or better

and aordable universal access

Source: United Republic o Tanzania (2003)

Tanzania adopted a National ICT Policy in

2003, ollowing a consultative process which

involved both government and an infuential

group o ICT proessionals organised as

eThinkTankTZ. This National Policy established10 ocus areas or action to improve the

availability and developmental use o ICTs,

as set out in the table below.

However, this National Policy has not

been ollowed up with an agreed national

implementation strategy. As a result, no

guidance or responsibility has been assigned

to any government body, and ollow-up at

a sectoral level has also been unsatisactory.

Some national and local public sector

reorm programmes have given impetus to

ICT use within government, and the desirability

o using ICTs or development objectives is

recognised in national development strategies.

However, initiatives in dierent departments

have been hampered by a lack o central

coordination and strategy. The government now

plans to establish an e-government agency to

coordinate activities between its departments.

One example o ICT4D in Tanzania which

has been well-publicised is the Sengerema

Multipurpose Community Telecentre, which was

established in 2001. This provides its targetcommunity with internet and email access

and a variety o ICT-related services, including

computer training, content development and

local radio. One o its aims has been to act

as a demonstration project, illustrating the

potential or ICTs to improve rural development

and livelihoods.

Policy on ICTs and ICT4D

Empowering local communities through telecentres

The Sengerema Multipurpose Telecentre (SMTC) is located in Sengerema

town in the Mwanza region. SMCT was established in 2001. Connectivity

is provided by a bre optic cable owned by the Tanzania National

Electricity Services Corporation. The main services oered by the centre

include access to the internet and email, computer training, secretarial

services, IT consultancy, content development and local radio.

John Mahagere, Manager or Telecentres at the Tanzania Commission

or Science and Technology, says that the centre has improved the

lives o the local community. For instance, beore the advent o SMTC

only 50% o children were taken or vaccination. Currently the rate has

reached 100% due to enhanced awareness acilitated by the centre.


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Telemedicine

A telemedicine project set up by the

Evangelical Lutheran Church o Tanzania

(ELCT) is bringing specialist health advice

to remote, oten poor, populations.

The scheme, currently used by 13hospitals across Tanzania, gives doctors

access to specialists, proessional

discussions and archives rom around

the globe. Doctors in remote health

acilities can log on to the system to

seek advice rom specialist colleagues.

This allows people in some isolated areas

to gain access to an international network

o expert healthcare proessionals

without having to travel.

Established in 2008, the project is

managed by the Christian Social ServicesCommission. The International Institute

or Communication and Development

(IICD) and CORDAID rom the Netherlands

are unding the project.

For more inormation about the project

see www.youtube.com/watch?

v=sE7Gug6sT84


ICTs can give doctors in remote areas access

to specialist advice. This doctor in Mufndi district

is treating a small boy or malaria.

mikkelostergaard | panospictures

Connecting citizens

with their government

Wananchi portal is an initative

that allows Tanzanian citizens

to contact their government.

The portal allows Tanzanian

citizens to submit, track

and obtain eedback rom

the government.

Principally the portal wasdesigned:

To help improve citizen

awareness and satisaction

about the services they

receive or believe they should

receive by enabling ast and

ecient resolution o relevant

citizen submissions

To collect data that will assist the government o Tanzania

to identiy opportunities or improvement and change,

to optimise service and minimise complaints in the uture.

The portal is managed by the Ministry o Inormation, Culture

and Sports, and is accessible through www.wananchi.go.tz


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Widespread availability o domestic

ICTs, such as televisions, have

increased access to inormation.


The report identies a number o positive

and negative actors acilitators and

challenges in Tanzanias ICT experience

over the past decade or so. There have

been some signicant achievements in ICT4Din Tanzania during this period, but there is

still considerable scope or urther progress

to be made by addressing challenges and

weaknesses in policy and implementation.

Facilitators

Four acilitating actors have helped

to provide a avourable environment or

the application o ICTs in national development.

These actors can be considered relevant

across the range o developing countries,

but are discussed here specically in relationto Tanzanias experience.

Aordability: In particular, the availability

o low-cost mobile phones has helped

to drive the rapid growth o phone ownership,

and the availability o relatively inexpensive

second-hand computers has made them

aordable to many but by no means all

households. The governments decision

to lower taxation on computers and

peripherals, such as scanners and printers,

is also welcome.

Technology availability and adoption:

The widespread availability and useo domestic ICTs in particular televisions,

radios and mobile phones has established

a high basic level o inormation access

and enables citizens to improve their quality

o lie through increased participation in

economic and other activities.

Supportive social inrastructure: Although

illiteracy is still a problem in Tanzania, the

establishment o Kiswahili as a common

national language has acilitated the

dissemination o inormation and helped

to maintain social stability.

Government support: High-level support or

ICTs in development at presidential and

ministerial level has played a signicant part

in stimulating ICT4D. The establishment o

several institutions has had a positive eect,

including: the converged communications

regulatory authority TCRA; a ministry

responsible jointly or communications,

science and technology; and competent

research institutions. The Universal

Communications Service Fund, however,

has not yet become operational.

What has happened?

I recall there were hardly anycybercas back in June 2000which is when the tax oncomputers was lited. It was aneThinkTankTZ initiative during ourrst year o existence. We senta small delegation to meet theMinister o Finance around April

or so that year. We prepared apaper describing the advantageso increasing the penetration oIT as opposed to targeting IT ortaxation. The boom o cybercasis one o the advantages o theVAT relie on computers.

Tanzania uses one language it is easy tocommunicate, advocate and develop contentsin a language that everyone understands.

A typical example is the AIDS awarenesscampaign. They mainly use Kiswahili. Thismakes it possible to reach people evenin remote areas. I think it is time that we haveto shit rom using English in ICT to localisationthrough Kiswahili.

David Sawe

Independent ICT consultant

Elias Otaigo

Institute o Finance Management


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Challenges

Alongside these acilitators o ICT4D,

there are our main challenges or ICT4D

in Tanzania. These too can be considered

relevant across the range o developing

countries, but are discussed here specically

in the Tanzanian context.

Connectivity: Like many Arican countries,

Tanzania suers rom poor inrastructure

or communications, power and transport.Broadband communications are not yet

available in much o the country, while the

lack o power supply in rural areas makes

it dicult to ensure communication links.

Content: As in other Arican countries, the

amount o local content available on the

internet is limited. Much o the Tanzanian

content that is available is in English rather

than Kiswahili. It is inrequently updated,

limiting its value to local users and leading

to signicant user dissatisaction.

Organisation: There are weaknesses in the

quality o leadership, planning, organisational

momentum and implementation o ICT projects

which have been undertaken. This weakness at

a project level matches the ailure, at national

and sectoral level, to translate policy ideas into

implementation strategies.

People: There are three main challenges or

the people o Tanzania:

pmany Tanzanians, especially in rural areas,

do not have adequate skills and awareness to

operate computers and other ICT equipment

pgovernment and other organisations also lack

skilled personnel

polder people, including some decision-makers,

nd it hard to grasp the potential o ICTs to

transorm their areas o activity.

I think many people are yet to beknowledgeable about ICT projects.For this reason they do notknow even how to write good ICTpolicies. The unsupportive ICT

policies that we have are resultso such poor skills.

The perception o people as well as thegeneral public has to change. Tanzania is yetto grasp the importance o ICT. It is mostlyregarded as a luxury rather than an importantdevelopmental tool. Many leaders are notaware o ICT potentials. This makes it dicultor them to put ICT as one o the priorityissues in their activities. As a result ICTinitiatives ace some dicult bureaucracies.This is one o the major problems.

Amos Nungu

ICTs or rural development

(ICT4RD) Coordinator, Sengerema

Muhidin Issa Michuzi

journalist, in the Tanzania

Standard newspaper

Many Tanzanians do not have adequate skills to operate

computers. ICT training at school could change this.

sventorfinn | panospictures


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The report draws on these acilitators and

challenges to suggest recommendations

or the uture. These are addressed not just

to government but to the wider stakeholder

community, whose joint eorts will be neededor progress to be achieved.

The recommendations all into two main

categories:

pexploiting existing opportunities

ptackling current challenges.

Exploiting opportunities

pDevelop the ICT sector: The Tanzanian

government should encourage the

development o local ICT hardware,

sotware and applications.

p Support implementation: The government

should extend its political infuence by

establishing a more strategic approach

to ICT4D, building awareness o this in

the community, and establishing better

organisational arrangements or

implementation.

p Integrate ICTs in development initiatives:

Government must take advantage o

existing coordinating and regulatory structures

to promote the integration o ICTs intodevelopment initiatives, or example

by requiring bre optic cables to be laid

alongside new roads or water pipes.

pPromote aordability and access:

Government should extend tax relie to ICTs

and related services, as well as hardware.

p Exploit contextual advantages: Government

should take advantage o Tanzanias common

language and educational system to promote

the use o ICTs.

Tackling challenges

p Enhance connectivity: The government has

responsibility or enabling adequate and

reliable ICT access, including the construction

o inrastructure with particular emphasis

on networks which are already widely available

(television, radio and mobile phones).

pDevelop content: Steps should be taken

to promote the development o local content,

notably content in Kiswahili and content

which can be readily understood throughout

the community. This will contribute to public

service delivery and to the mainstreaming

o ICTs in peoples lives.

pDevelop leadership: ICT4D initiatives require

strong, persuasive and committed leadership.The government should stimulate this

through mentoring and incentive schemes.

p Improve planning: Better planning and

collaboration within and between government

departments, and between government

and other stakeholders should be built

around a better understanding o ICT4D needs

and priorities.

pEnhance skills: ICT4D services need to

be easy to use, to encourage widespread

adoption. Government should integrate

ICT training in the national education system,

and oster awareness o the potential benets

o ICTs amongst citizens in general.

pCultivate innovation. Lastly, more innovative

research is required to identiy the needs

o local communities, and develop the best

ICT-related solutions or those needs.

Further research

While it is possible to understand a good

deal o what is happening with ICTs in

Tanzania, it is also clear that there are largegaps in the inormation which is currently

available. The report concludes by calling or

urther research in three main areas:

pthe use o mobile phones, and their potential

value in delivering public services

pdocumenting existing initiatives, and

disseminating inormation about their

outcomes

pthe potential sustainability and replication

o apparently successul initiatives,

such as the Sengerema MultipurposeCommunity Telecentre.

More analysis o what is working and

not working will improve the eectiveness

o uture ICT4D initiatives.

Recommendations

Workmen building a new health centre in Arusha.

ICTs need to be integrated into development initiatives.

garycalton | panospictures


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ICTs can enable initiatives

like community radio, making

relevant inormation accessible

in local languages.

fredhoogervorst | panospictures

Policy brie written by David Souter.

The ull report, ICT4D: Facing the Challenges

Head-on in Tanzania is available or download

rom www.ngopulse.org/iles/tanzania_

thetha_report_ict4d.pd

The research report was wri tten by Jim Yonazi

o the Institute o Finance Management,Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Tina James edited

and coordinated the report on behal o

SANGONeT and jointly reviewed the report

with Murali Shanmugavelan, Panos London

Inormation Society Programme.

The research was undertaken as part o the

Thetha Regional ICT Discussion Forum Project,

coordinated by SANGONeT and unded by the

Open Society Initiative or Southern Arica and the

Embassy o Finland in South Arica. The Thetha

Project aims to provide a body o experience and

ramework or discussion o uture ICT policy in

the Southern Arica region. For more inormation

see www.thetha.org

This brie was produced by Panos Londons

Inormation Society programme.

The text in this publication is subject

to a Creative Commons Attribution

Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2.0 UK:

England and Wales licence. To view a copy o

this licence go to http://creativecommons.org/

licences/by-nc-nd/2.0/uk

Panos London, September 2010.

Some rights reserved.

I you wish to alter, transorm or build upon this

work, please contact Panos London.

All photographs

Panos Pictures

All rights reserved

Photographs are available romwww.panos.co.uk

Panos London Inormation Society programme:

[email protected]

Further inormation

Jim Yonazi

The Institute o Finance Management

Shaaban Robert Street

PO Box 3918, Dar es Salaam

Tanzania

Tel: +255 456 6766Email: [email protected]

Thetha Project coordinated by

Southern Arican NGO Network

(SANGONeT)

PO Box 31392

2017 Braamontein

South Arica

Tel: +27 11 403 4935

Fax: +27 11 403 0130

Email: [email protected]

www.sangonet.org.za

www.thetha.org

Open Society Initiative or Southern Arica

(OSISA)

1st Floor, President Palace

1 Hood Avenue/148 Jan Smuts Avenue

Rosebank

Johannesburg

South AricaPO Box 678

Wits 2050

Johannesburg

South Arica

Tel: +27 (0) 11 587 5000

Fax: +27 (0) 11 587 5099

www.osisa.org

Panos London

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London N1 9PD

United Kingdom

tel +44 (0)20 7278 1111

ax +44 (0)20 7278 0345

[email protected]

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worldwide Panos Network

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to ensure that inormation is

used eectively to oster debate,pluralism and democracy.

For more inormation see

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Realising the potential of ICTs in Tanzania

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